Sealdah station parking will remain closed from Panchami to Dashami during Durga Puja, while digital locker services will also be suspended as the Sealdah Division prepares for heavy passenger movement and tighter crowd control.
The arrangements were discussed at a high-level meeting convened by the Sealdah Division with senior officials from the state police, Kolkata Traffic Police and the Government Railway Police. The meeting was chaired by Sealdah Divisional Railway Manager Rajiv Saxena, according to the Sealdah Division.
The station premises will remain under 24-hour CCTV surveillance throughout the festival period. Holding areas will be created at designated points for passengers entering and exiting the station, while platform movement will be managed through separation arrangements intended to reduce congestion and keep passenger flows moving.
The security plan includes the deployment of 270 former servicemen during the Puja days, along with additional personnel from the Railway Protection Special Force. Railway Protection Force personnel will be placed at locations expected to experience higher passenger volumes and at level-crossing gates likely to face increased vehicle pressure.
Foot overbridges at key locations will also have RPF personnel, Scouts and Guides, and Civil Defence staff. The meeting additionally discussed rapid-response arrangements for emergencies and the deployment of medical centres and ambulances at stations where large crowds are expected.
The Sealdah Division has divided its area into 11 nodal points based on different stations to monitor the overall situation. A war room will remain operational to track conditions across all stations in the division. Passengers and railway personnel requiring immediate assistance can contact the Sealdah Division war room at 9147906778.
Although parking and digital locker services will be unavailable at Sealdah station during Panchami to Dashami, automatic ticket vending machines and the mobile UTS service will continue operating during the festival. Additional ticket-booking counters may also be opened depending on demand.
The measures reflect the operational pressure placed on one of Kolkata’s major rail hubs during Durga Puja, when passenger volumes rise and movement around station approaches, platforms, foot overbridges and road crossings becomes more difficult to manage. The division’s plan combines restrictions on selected services with additional personnel, surveillance and designated holding areas.
The Sealdah Division’s war room, nodal-point monitoring system and additional ticketing arrangements will remain part of the festival-period response, with further counters to be opened if passenger demand requires them.
